Recognition and Awards

Award Nomination Form                 Letter of Endorsement Form

Note: Only one volunteer is chosen from each of the following award categories.  The Awards and Recognition Committee reserves the right to not select a recipient for an award.

Appreciation Pin

The Appreciation Pin recognizes:

• A registered adult Girl Scout’s exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE)
• Has had a measurable impact on one geographic area of service
• Helps reach and surpass the mission-delivery goals of the area.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and three endorsement letters.

Example candidate: At a local event, a Troop Leader noticed that the diversity of the girls did not match the diversity of the community. She collaborated with the Service Unit to create and implement recruitment strategies to reach both girls and adults and developed new ways of work to support new members. As a result, Hispanic girl membership rose by 14 percent last year.

Circle of Achievement

The Circle of Achievement Award recognizes outstanding individuals who:

• Provide a short-term service worthy of recognition;
• Provide more than one short-term service endeavor; and,
• Is a registered Girl Scout member.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and two endorsement letters.

Example candidate: A Girl Scout volunteer who has volunteered to be the Service Unit’s Day Camp Coordinator for the summer.

Circle of Excellence

The Circle of Excellence Award recognizes outstanding individuals who:

• Provide continuing service at a consistent level;
• Provide this level of service to the same Council jurisdiction; and,
• Is a registered Girl Scout member.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and two endorsement letters.

Example candidate: A Girl Scout volunteer who has continued to provide service as the Service Unit Treasurer and led the Service Unit in appropriate financial oversight for more than one year.

Honor Pin

The Honor Pin recognizes:

• A registered adult Girl Scout’s exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
• Has had a measurable impact on two or more geographic areas of service
• Helps reach and surpass the mission-delivery goals of the area.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and three endorsement letters.

Example candidate: A facilitator realized that although the council created online courses and resources on the GSLE, at volunteer meetings she heard comments indicating that many volunteers still were hesitant to use Journeys to deliver the GSLE to girls. She worked with the Volunteer Development Manager on staff to create a GSLE coach role, which would support all direct-service volunteers as they implemented what they learned in the courses and put Journeys into action. This role was piloted in four service-delivery teams where, after the first year, Journey participation increased by 30 percent; girls shared the impact of 14 new take-action projects via the council’s Web site, and the volunteer-satisfactions scores increased by 12 percent.

Star Trainer

The Star Trainer Award recognizes outstanding individuals who:

• Provide training at the Service Unit or council level in a manner that exceeds the expectations of the position;
• Exhibit exceptional diligence in performing his/her training responsibilities;
• Exceed the expectations for the position in the following areas: 
  • Initiative
  • Teamwork and Versatility
  • Enthusiasm and Creativity
  • Attitude and Leadership
  • Communication
  • Dedication
• Is a registered Girl Scout member.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and two endorsement letters.

Teola Artman

The Teola Artman Award recognizes:

• An adult volunteer, active within her/his Service Unit who is the “glue that holds things together”
• This pin is given to a volunteer only once.

The award is named after long-time Girl Scout volunteer, Teola Artman, who was an active volunteer in the Clovis area for over 60 years.  

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and three endorsement letters.

Example candidates:  An event coordinator who has managed several successful events while encouraging an increasing degree of girl planning and participation. Or, the troop/group chair for the family partnership campaign who has increased support for the local community and families and who gives a personally significant donation.

Thanks Badge I

The Thanks Badge I honors

• A registered adult Girl Scout whose ongoing commitment, leadership, and service has had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission-delivery goals and priorities
• Affects the entire council or entire Girl Scout Movement.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and four endorsement letters.

Example candidate: A volunteer saw an opportunity to use Journeys to increase membership in one of the council’s target markets through the camp participation. She helped the council partner with local companies and groups to provide in-kind, financial, and volunteer support to build a Tree House at each camp through a Take-Action project. She led a task group of girls to design and develop progressive programming, based on girl-led processes and Journey content, which culminated in take-action projects. The three-year project brought in 300 new Girl Scouts, a 5 percent overall increase in camp registrations the following year, 90 new volunteers, and new partnerships with 11 local organizations.

Thanks Badge II

The Thanks Badge II honors

• A previous Thanks Badge award recipient who has continued to provide exemplary service in a leadership role, resulting in a measurable impact
• Benefits the entire Girl Scout Movement.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and four endorsement letters.

Example candidate: After receiving the Thanks Badge, the volunteer from the Thanks Badge example was motivated by the success of the Tree House Take-Action project and submitted to present this best practice at a GSUSA conference. She then served two years on a national task group to help educate and support all Girl Scout councils across the Movement to create long-term plans that integrate all council departments to implement the camp pathway to grow membership and deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through Journey use.

Trails of Leadership Award

The Trails of Leadership Award recognizes:

• An entry-level recognition of a Girl Scout volunteer.
• An adult Leader, Assistant Leader, or parent whose performance as a volunteer and whose interaction with the girls is so outstanding that it merits council-level recognition; and,
• Is a registered Girl Scout member.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and two endorsement letters.

Example candidate:  A Troop Leader who partners with assistant leaders and parents to make his/her girls’ troop experience a positive and fulfilling time for all girls involved – no matter what the program age level.  The Troop Leader also allows for girls to be girl-led and make decisions as a troop, while stepping back and guiding as necessary.

Volunteer of Excellence

The Volunteer of Excellence award recognizes a volunteer who has:

• Contributed outstanding service while partnering directly with girls in any pathway to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through use of the national program portfolio;
• Who has contributed outstanding service in support of the council’s mission delivery to girl and adult members; and,
• Is a registered Girl Scout member.

Needed: The Award Nomination Form and two endorsement letters.

Example candidate: A volunteer program advisor works over the course of the year with a teen advisory committee. Thirty current Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors plan and deliver a day camp in the Service Unit, using content from the aMuse journey, targeted to girls in underserved areas in the council. As a result, those areas had a combined total of 210 new Junior girl members and 16 new adult volunteers.